“My time spent at the American College of Norway was some of the best in my life.” – reflections from an ACN Student

The Fall 2023 semester has come to an end, and for some that meant leaving Moss for the time being. Read the blog post about Flynn's experience of being a student at ACN, and see what advice he has for future students.

My name is Flynn Essex and I am from Virginia. I’m currently attending the Northern Virginia Community College to pursue a mechanical engineering degree as a freshman, and I attended ACN for the 2022 Fall semester. My best memories as a child were when I visited my family in Norway in the summers. That had been about 10 years ago however, and it was time I returned to my second home. Studying abroad in Norway gave me the perfect opportunity as an adult to return to my dream country and experience a European style of living on my own.

My time spent at the American College of Norway was some of the best in my life. Despite being a small school, we had so many opportunities to see the world, develop our character, create professional contacts, and learn independence.     The staff at ACN are genuinely friendly people, and quite personable so that you can form a genuine friendship with each of them. We had a very small group this semester, and yet we still managed to create great relationships and memories during our time together. I made some of my best friends during this time, and I got to live as an independent in the city of Moss, creating my own reputation and friends for myself outside the school.

My favorite thing I got to do at ACN was participate in our haunted house Halloween event. Each group got to create a theme for and decorate a locker room at the local soccer stadium, where we were staged as actors to scare local visitors. All in all, it was estimated that we had 500-1000 visitors at our Halloween event. We were given total creative freedom, and access to both ACN’s and the stadium’s Halloween decorations, and so my friend Sam and I created a haunted forest/butcher room. I loved being able to involve myself in the community and contribute to the visitors’ memories that night, as I’m sure we left a lasting impression on many of them!

Norway is a beautiful country with so much nature everywhere you go, and you can travel all along the country without a car by utilizing the buses and trains. Living in such an environment where you can walk everywhere and use great public transport was so freeing, in contrast to the car-dominated suburbs I grew up in.  During my time at ACN, I got to travel Europe during our breaks and long weekends to see Spain and England, the tickets to which can be quite cheap due to proximity to Norway. 

If I were to give advice to a future ACN student, it would be to participate in all the organized activities the school offers. Get out of your comfort zone and hangout with your classmates and talk to strangers in Moss. There are so many great people all around you, and you have the chance to make a name for yourself in a small town where each person can make a difference. Explore the shops, go to Oslo, travel Europe, ask your friends to hangout, get groceries together, go swim together, organize weekend events/ trips. There is never a reason to be stuck in your room during your time at ACN, there are lots of great people and opportunities around you that are unique to Norway, so take advantage while you’re here!

I implore anyone looking to study abroad in Norway to seriously consider and research the American College, you will have a fantastic time if you put in even a small effort. You will get to see Norway, Europe, volunteering in Moss, famous artists and actors, ACN’s Halloween event, living on your own, swimming in the fjord, some of your best friends, and so much more.

  • Flynn

Do you want to study at ACN, and potentially have the time of your life – like Flynn did? Apply today at HERE!

 

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